Plan is to cover various wagonry development here in future. Locos will retain their own threads.
12/11/2019
A favourite prototype of mine is thought to be the last surviving wagon from the Mapleton Tramway here in QLD, which closed in 1945. The line, it's wagons and the two 13-ton Shays (see Accucraft's upcoming release) were bought by the nearby Moreton Central Mill. The line's cream and fruit van was later converted into a carriage and rolling tool shed for the mill's bridge building/maintenance gang, and is privately preserved today.
Using the usual balsa, popsicle sticks and coffee stirrers, the dimensions were eyeballed. I'm not modelling the real thing exactly, just very closely.
As I was working in 45mm gauge at the time, a pair of rebuilt New Bright bogeys with Binnie wheels, was used.
25/01/2021
Very much a backburner project, progress was sporadic. Sugar mills being notoriously cheap, the prototype was painted with house paint - presumably already on hand. These older colours are widely available today as "heritage colours", and I too had them on hand for my foamboard buildings.
25/11/2023
I wanted my doors to slide like the real thing, and a simple arrangement was concocted from styrene square tube and I-beam.
The corrugated iron was made in the usual manner, but this time had to be pre-formed to fit - The real galvanised sheeting was left bare inside the wagon, and the model sheets were painted to reflect this prior to gluing into place. The panels were distressed with a tiny hammer and various screwdrivers before masking and spraying green. Since conversion to 32mm, the wagon now rides on a pair of Binnie skip frames. The "steel mesh" in the windows is flyscreen.
Not sure when I'll finish this one..
